Daily Search Forum Recap: December 2, 2025

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.

Today is the 22nd year anniversary of the Search Engine Roundtable - check out the post to see the most important stories of 2025 and future thoughts for 2026. Google expanded Gemini 3 and Nano Banana Pro to more countries within AI Mode. Google also began testing blending AI Mode in AI Overviews. Google's John Mueller said 100MB video files won't impact the page in Google Search. Google Ads disallows the promotion of online horse race gambling. And I posted the December 2025 Google Webmaster Report.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• 22 Years Covering The Search Industry
  Today marks the 22nd anniversary of when I started this site, the Search Engine Roundtable. I was 23 years old when I started this site, compiling what the search community and search industry was talking about and for almost half of my life now, I've been still doing the same thing, day in and day out.
• Google Officially Tests Blending AI Mode Into AI Overviews
  Back in October, we saw Google testing having the "Show more" button in the AI Overviews within Google Search jump you to AI Mode with follow-up questions. Well, Google's Robby Stein announced on X yesterday that this is being tested (after it was tested already) in the mobile search results.
• Google Rolls Out Gemini 3 & Nano Banana Pro In AI Mode To More
  Google's Gemini 3 and Nano Banana Pro is now available in AI Mode in 120 countries and territories in English. This expands it from Gemini 3 in AI Mode's initial launch just a couple of weeks ago.
• Google: 100MB Video Won't Have A Noticeable Effect On Your SEO
  Google's John Mueller said having a 100MB video file on your home page won't have a noticeable SEO effect. This was his response on a Reddit thread to the concern of having such a weighted-down file on your home page.
• Google Ads No Longer Allows Online Horse Racing Betting
  Google Ads updated its gambling policy to disallow all promotion of online gambling-promoting content for horse racing targeting the United States. Google said this goes into effect as of December 1, 2025.
• December 2025 Google Webmaster Report
  It is already December, can you believe it and even crazier, I've been doing this for 22 years! Where does the time ago. In any event, we had some serious Google ranking volatility this month, especially over the Thanksgiving week/end. Google released...
• Tiny Google TPUs
  Google designs TPUs for mobile devices, like phones. It is not just the large ones that Google develops for servers. Here is a photo of one from Paige Baily from Google, she posted it on X.

Other Great Search Threads:

• 90% of SEO wins come from knowing what NOT to do., Ryan Jones on Bluesky
• AdSense Earnings and Observations - December 2025, WebmasterWorld
• Over 2 million products within this Google Merchant Center account, yet the average image count is only 1. This is a surprisingly common issue that I regularly come across for eCommerce stores, being a significant missed opportunity, Brodie Clark on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google unveils “Partner Match” for YouTube targeting
• Microsoft Ads introduces asset-level disapprovals
• Gemini 3 and Nano Banana Pro expanding to more searchers
• Google tests pushing searchers from AI Overviews with follow up questions to AI Mode
• ChatGPT ads: Android code reveals OpenAI’s plans as user reports first ad
• Google pulls EU antitrust complaint against Microsoft
• Shopify hit by login outage on major sales day
• Google Ads tests new “Website Optimizer” Tool
• Google Demand Gen campaigns: When to use them and best practices (with examples)
• How to run compliant, effective medical and mental health ads
• Robots.txt and SEO: What you need to know in 2026
• Google Search Console Index Coverage report delayed

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• AI Search, hreflang, and translated content. How do ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, and Claude handle multilingual queries?, GSQI
• Apple AI Chief John Giannandrea Retiring After Siri Delays, MacRumors
• One of Google's biggest AI advantages is what it already knows about you, TechCrunch
• Why IBM’s CEO doesn’t think current AI tech can get to AGI, The Verge

Analytics

• Introducing our GCP Integration for Agent Analytics, Profound
• New suggested audience templates for customer lifecycle goals, Google Analytics Help
• What is a session in Google Analytics, KRM Digital Marketing

Industry & Business

• AWS and Google Cloud collaborate on multicloud networking, Google Cloud Blog
• Apple's artificial intelligence chief is stepping down, company says, CNBC
• Farewell for now, Chrome., Addy Osmani
• Google delays opening of ‘landscraper’ London HQ until 2026, The Times
• Google deletes X post after getting caught using a ‘stolen’ AI recipe infographic, Bleeping Computer
• Google Narrows VirtaMove Software Patent Lawsuit in California, Bloomberg
• N.Y. Law Could Set Stage for A.I. Regulation’s Next ‘Big Battleground’, New York Times
• OpenAI Takes Stake in Thrive Holdings, a Buyer of Services Firms, New York Times
• Sergey Brin Gifts $1.1 Billion in Alphabet Stock After AI Rally, Bloomberg
• News Not Slop campaign launched after Politico AI errors, Press Gazette
• OpenAI’s Altman Declares ‘Code Red’ to Improve ChatGPT as Google Threatens AI Lead, Wall Street Journal

Links & Content Marketing

• Baby Chaos, Client Signals, And Your Backlink Health, Nikki Pilkington
• Why content-driven branding is the real fix for zero-click traffic loss, MarTech
• Why Gratitude Beats AI Pressure in Content Marketing, Content Marketing Institute

Local & Maps

• Google Maps And Waze Share One Big Problem, BGR
• Google Maps is great, but I wish its route options were smarter, Android Authority

SEO

• As AI Eats Web Traffic, Don’t Panic—Evolve, Kellogg Insight
• From SEO to GEO: Why AI Search Rewards Consensus Over Keywords, Reputation Arm
• GEO vs. AEO vs. AI SEO vs. LLMO: What These Terms Actually Mean, Onely
• How to Get Your Product Discovered by ChatGPT, Onely
• How To Rewrite an Old Blog for Better AI Ranking, Onely
• Niche Down: Your Guide to Specializing in SEO, SEOjobs
• The Ultimate GEO Checklist: 12 Steps to Optimize Your Brand, Onely
• What the enshittification of the internet means for SEO, Alice Rowan
• Why Your Content Team Needs to Think Like an SEO Analyst, BruceClay
• Decoding Google’s Updates: What Truly Drives Visibility Today | Cyrus ShepardCorrelation Studies: What Google is Prioritizing Now, Advanced Web Ranking
• Should Your Resume Mention AI? Integrating AEO Skills Into Your CV, SEOjobs

PPC

• Auto-Mine Negative Keywords in 15 Minutes (2025), AdAI
• Commerce Chronicles - Meta, TikTok, Google: Where Are Brands Investing Their Ad Dollars?, Bluetuskr
• Google Flags Small Images as Ineligible for YouTube Shopping Ads, PPC News Feed
• Sunsetting Google Ads API, Google Ads Scripts, and Campaign Manager 360 API Developer Support Forums on Google Groups, Google Ads Developer Blog
• 5 Reasons Why Businesses Should Be Cautious About Hiring International Digital Marketing Agencies, JumpFly
• The hidden challenges of AI Max search term reporting, Adalysis

Search Features

• Apple Glasses could be next year’s most attention-grabbing product, 9to5Mac
• Google search turns upside down for Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’, The Economic Times

Other Search

• Google teases ‘exciting’ Android XR updates for glasses on Dec 8, 9to5Google
• Google teases the Future of Android XR, with Gemini giving main character energy, Android Central

Feedback:

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